Lakerholics

Without Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers have now lost four straight games and fallen to 13th in the West at 13–20, 3.0 games out of 10th and the Play-In Tournament and 5.0 games out of 6th and guaranteed playoffs.

The good news is the West is wide open, LeBron James is playing dominant basketball, and Anthony Davis appears to have dodged a major injury and could be back on court to resume his MVP/DPOY campaign mid-January. 
The bad news is recent reports say the Lakers’ front office is now leaning to not trading either of the team’s two available draft picks unless the deeply flawed team they created can somehow show again they’re worth backing.

Enough is enough. It’s one thing to screw up and make a dumb trade for Russell Westbrook, a move that basically locked the Lakers into a financial straight jacket they haven’t been smart or proactive enough to get out of. 
But then to claim that now they’re not going to do anything more because they’re afraid of compounding previous mistakes with win-now moves? That’s a totally self-serving and strategically stupid position to take.

The solution is just to be smart about what you get back for Westbrook, Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and the two first round draft picks. That should be enough to bring back at least four legitimate starters or rotation players. 
Those four players should include a starting and backup 3&D wing to play small forward, a backup rim protecting center to start now and backup AD when he returns, and a bigger 3&D point guard to replace Westbrook.

Add those four new players to a six-player nucleus from the current roster of James, Davis, Reaves, Bryant, Schröder, and Christie and you have a stronger and deeper Lakers’ 10-man rotation that could be a contender.

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Time for LeBron and AD to Demand Action?

The time has come for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to show Lakers’ owner Jeanie Buss and VPBO Rob Pelinka that it’s the superstars, not the owners or genera managers, who hold the real reins of power in the NBA. 

James and Davis need to remind Pelinka and Buss they’ll be free agents at the end of next season and, if the Lakers expect to re-sign them, they need to trade Westbrook and the picks now to give this roster a chance to win.
Failing to take advantage of how wide open the Western Conference is this season and how dominant both James and Davis have been when healthy despite the terribly constructed roster and would be a major mistake. 

The Lakers’ problem is not that there aren’t legitimate starters or rotation players they could trade for. It’s that there aren’t any ‘superstars’ available to trade for. Pelinka’s great fear of missing a big trade has paralyzed him. 
The result has been the easy decision to do nothing as the team loses more games and the hole they’re going to have to dig their way out of gets deeper and deeper. We’ve reached a point where only James and Davis can save us.

The front office would argue that James and Davis are the reason why the Lakers are in the situation they are, because they foolishly championed trading for Russell Westbrook and need to accept their share of blame.
While James and Davis do deserve some blame for Westbrook, it’s Rob Pelinka’s job as general manger to make the decision to trade for Russell Westbrook and Jeanie Buss’ job as owner to officially approve the move.

In the end, we’re reached the point where nobody but LeBron James and Anthony Davis can save this season. The Lakers superstars need to flex their power and force Rob Pelinka to trade Westbrook and the picks.

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Which Trade Targets Are Good Fits?

The Lakers should split their two picks up, using one pick to facilitate a Westbrook trade and the other to facilitate a Beverley, Nunn, and Jones trade. Ideally, the Lakers need to bring back at least four rotation payers.

Those four new Lakers players should include at least two new starters, a bigger 3&D wing to start at small forward and a point guard who can shoot the three, attack the rim, and distribute the ball without turning it over.
Starting small forward candidates include Bojan Bogdanovic, Kyle Kuzma, O.G. Anunoby, Eric Gordon, and DeMar DeRozan. Starting point guard candidates are Terry Rozier, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet.

The Lakers also need a backup center who can start until Anthony Davis returns and then provide rim protection when AD is not in the game, and a backup 3&D small forward to give them two new defenders with size. 
Backup center candidates are Myles Turner, Mo Bamba, Jakob Poeltl, and Kristaps Porzingis. Backup small forward candidates are Cam Reddish, Doug McDermott, Saddiq Bey, Terrence Ross, and Otto Porter, Jr.

The key to saving the season is not just making trades but making smart trades. The Lakers must start with the principle they’re not going to give up a first round draft pick for any player(s) who aren’t good long-term fits.
That means only acquiring players who give us size, shooting, and defense and only accepting contracts that represent fair value and can be traded. The right package of players could transform the Lakers into contenders.

Team building about the draft, free agency, and trades. The Lakers did as good a job in the draft and free agency as was possible but we’ve always known the Lakers couldn’t build a winning team without trading Russ.

The best trade the Los Angeles Lakers could make right now to keep this season alive would be swapping Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and Damian Jones to the Orlando Magic for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross.

Not only would the trade give the Lakers a 3&D wing to start at small forward but also a floor stretching, rim protecting center to replace Anthony Davis in the short term and back him up when he returns.
With Ross starting at small forward and Bamba at center, the Lakers suddenly would add desperately needed size and shooting. The 7′ 0″ Mo Bamba shoots 39.0% while the 6′ 6″ Ross shoots 40.9% from deep.

Trading for Bamba and Ross filled both of the Lakers’ primary rotation holes. In fact, there may not be another trade that could net the Lakers a starting small forward and reserve center to fill in and then backup AD.

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Why Bamba and Ross?

The Lakers’ plan is to trade Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a protected first round pick for a player(s) with a combined salary of around $20 million per year who can provide them with needed size, shooting, and defense.

The Lakers have long coveted Indiana Pacers’ center Myles Turner, who is on an expiring $18.0 million contract. Trading for Turner would require L.A. to extend Turner, who will likely demand over $20 million per year.
With Anthony Davis finally established as the Lakers’ starting center, the Lakers are unlikely to be willing to pay Turner $20–25 million per year when they’re already paying Anthony Davis $37.9 million per year.

Bamba earns only $10.3 million per year and is locked in a 2-year contract. That means he could fit financially as the Lakers’ backup center and has 2 years left on his contract so does not have to be extended this summer.
Talentwise, Bamba is a probably a poor man’s version of Myles Turner who can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting and protect the rim with his shot blocking. Ross gives the Lakers a legitimate starting 3&D wing.

The alternative to the Bamba and Ross trade with the Magic is a Poeltl and McDermott trade with the Spurs. Like the Magic trade, the Spurs trade also gives the Lakers an affordable starting small forward and backup center.
Poeltl could be the better defender but his poor free throw shooting makes him a late game liability and eliminates the chance he could evolve into a modern stretch center. McDermott is not as good a 3&D wing as Ross.

In the end, the best package the Lakers can get for Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a protected pick is Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross. That trade fills the Lakers top two rotation holes and gives them a chance to make the playoffs.

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What’s the Next Step?

The Lakers’ projected depth chart shows that Bamba and Ross are not only excellent fits with Anthony Davis out but also perfect complements once AD returns, giving the Lakers a rim protector for 48 minutes per game.

Moving Austin Reaves to the starting lineup is something Darvin Ham needs to do as soon as possible. Reaves has shown he has the moxie and confidence to hit this threes or attack the paint for floaters or fouls.
Austin is also the only Lakers player besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis to record a positive net rating for the season. LeBron is the Lakers point guard on offense and Reaves is their best perimeter defender.

With Mo Bamba starting at center, the Lakers’ starting lineup would measure 6′ 5′, 6′ 4″, 6′ 6″, 6′ 9″ 7′ 0″. Once Anthony Davis returns from injury, the Lakers’ starting lineup would then measure 6′ 5′, 6′ 4″, 6′ 6″, 6′ 9″ 7′ 0″.
The Lakers mat also play both Davis and Bamba at the same time, since Mo can space the floor from beyond the arc. And Coach Ham will likely stagger Anthony’s and Mo’s minutes to always have a rim protector on the court.

If the Lakers can fill their holes at starting small forward and backup center, then they will still have Russell Westbrook, Lonnie Walker IV, and their 2029 first round draft pick as available trading chips at the deadline.
Theoretically, the Lakers could still make a second bigger trade with Westbrook and the 2029 first round pick, which could bring back two or three better rotation players than the Lakers currently have.

Specific areas the Lakers should be looking to improve by trading Westbrook, Walker IV, and their 2029 pick include starting point guard, size on the wing, and a 20-points per game superstar shooting guard.

Just when it looked like AD’s injury had doomed the Lakers to another losing season, a series of unrelated events suddenly opened the door for a possible deadline trade of Westbrook and picks for a superstar guard.

While we’re still a month and half away from the February 9 trade deadline, it’s now looking more and more like the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards are going to become sellers.
That’s exactly what Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers front office have been hoping would happen as the trade deadline got closer and teams had to make the hard decisions whether to become buyers or sellers.

The prospect of Trae Young, Zach LaVine, or Fred VanVleet suddenly becoming available right when the Lakers desperately need a superstar guard alongside James and Davis seems almost too good to be true.
But maybe the Basketball Gods just wanted to see whether the Hawks, Bulls, Raptors, and Wizards truly valued the Lakers’ two unprotected post-LeBron James first round draft picks as guaranteed top-5 picks.

That Trae Young and Zach LaVine are also clients of Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports Group like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn, Troy Brown, Jr., and Juan Toscano-Anderson clearly favors the Lakers.
There’s no question Rich Paul would like to see Young or LaVine join up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers and we’re going to see a vigorous campaign to convince Atlanta and Chicago to trade them.

Whether Young, LaVine, or VanVleet end up getting traded to the Lakers will depend on their teams’ decision to be buyers or sellers and how much they value the Lakers two unprotected post-LeBron James draft picks.

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1. Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic Trade

In Atlanta, the 16–16 and 8th seed Hawks continue to struggle in the East. Trae Young could soon be on the trading block as his shooting has been off and he’s had conflicts with John Collins and head coach Nate McMillan.

If the Hawks continue to struggle, they’ll have a tough decision to make. Pairing Trae Young and Dejounte Murray has not solved their need for defense and offensive balance. Their best move may be to trade Young.

The trade would be great for the Lakers as Young and Bogdanovic could slide right into the starting lineup alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV. Trade might give Lakers best starting five in NBA.

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2. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic Trade

In Chicago, the 13–18 Bulls are considering blowing it up as conflicts have arisen between Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan. Word is Klutch Sports is pushing hard to get LaVine out of Chicago and to the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the Lakers and Bulls discussed trading for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, the better fit for the Lakers is obviously LaVine and Vucevic. If not for Zach’ injury history, this would be Lakers’ top trade.

For the Lakers, Zach LaVine would address their long-term needs for a superstar guard to replace LeBron James while Nikola Vucevic would address their short-term needs for a starting center until AD returns.

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3. Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, Otto Porter, Jr. Trade

In Toronto, the Raptors are trying to decide whether now is the right time to blow the team up and rebuild around Scottie Barnes. Gary Trent, Jr. could be on the market as well as Fred VanVleet and O.G. Anunoby.

The 14–18 Raptors are currently 10th in the East and are 3–7 in their last 10. If they fall any further back, it’s likely to force them into becoming sellers. Getting two post-LeBron first round picks from Lakers would be a bonus.

For Lakers, VanVleet and Anunoby would move right into the starting lineups with Porter Jr. providing depth off the bench. Trade gives Lakers size, shooting, and defense. Season saving trade if it happens.

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4. Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis Trade

Finally, in Washington, D.C., the Wizards are trying to figure out what do with Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom will become unrestricted free agents next summer. Again, the Lakers are lurking.

The 12–20 Wizards are stuck in a tough place. They just signed Bradley Beal to a 5-year max contract that has a no-trade clause. They need to be tanking, which means trading off pieces that help them win games.

This is a great trade for the Lakers. They not only get Kuzma back but get a starting center in Kristaps Porzingis who will fill in for Anthony Davis now and give L.A. great long-term front court size, shooting, and defense.

L.A.’s season has unfortunately come down to whether 38-year old LeBron James can don his Superman’s cape one more time and put the struggling 13–17 Lakers on his wide shoulders and carry them until AD gets back?

Frankly, that’s not only an unfair burden to put on LeBron James, who’s in the middle of an epic battle we’re all witnessing with Father Time, but also probably the Lakers only realistic chance of salvaging this doomed season.
The front office is already guilty of handicapping the team with a roster desperately in need of more size, shooting, and defense to win consistently. Unsure of the seriousness of Davis’ injury, the Lakers seem ready to punt.

Putting the onus on their 38-year old superstar seems patently unfair, especially after LeBron voluntarily signed an 1+1 extension rather than use that as leverage to force the Lakers to trade Westbrook and their picks.
Now AD’s injury has seemingly given Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office a chance to throw in the towel and sacrifice this season despite Anthony Davis playing like the MVP and LeBron fighting off Father Time.

Davis’ untimely injury has probably derailed any hopes of the Lakers going all-in to win a championship this season. Unless LeBron pulls off a miracle, it’s doubtful the Lakers will trade Westbrook and the picks to improve team.

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What Qualifies As a Miracle from LeBron and Lakers?

So what would qualify as a miracle? What would give the Lakers’ front office enough confidence to go all-in and trade Westbrook and their two first round picks so LeBron and AD could possibly win #18 this season?

The answer is LeBron James and the Lakers winning at a rate that convinces the front office the season can still be salvaged and that there was still a chance they could beat the Celtics in the race to win #18.
But the only way that’s going to happen is if LeBron James pimp slaps Father Time and the rest of the NBA and goes on a memorable run to transform a broken roster into a team that wins more than looses.

The Lakers ’remaining 52 regular season games can be broken down into two groups: the 26 games to be played before the February 9 trade deadline and 26 games to be played after the February 9 trade deadline has passed.
The Lakers need a miracle parlay to finish top-six. They must first win 15 of 26 games before deadline to get to 28–28 and convince the Lakers to trade Russ and picks. Then they need to win 20 of the 26 games to finish 48–34.

It will be a challenge but it’s not too late for the Lakers to convince the front office to trade Russ and the picks. Nor is it too late for the Lakers to get a healthy AD back and make a trade to transform them into a contenders.

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Can Lakers Mathematically Salvage Season?

How realistic are the chances of LeBron to rally the Lakers without AD and win 15 of the 26 games before the trade deadline? And if they accomplish that, what are their chances of winning 20 of 26 to close out the season?

Let’s take a look first at the 26 games the Lakers have to play before the trade deadline and see if there is a pathway that where LeBron could lead them to win 15 of those games and post a 28–28 record by the deadline.

The Lakers should be even or favored in 16 and underdogs in only 10 of 26. With luck, AD could be back before deadline. Bottom line, Lakers should have a good chance to win 15 of 26 and post a 28–28 record by the deadline.

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Even if they get AD back, reach .500 before the deadline, and swap Russ and picks for rotation players, the Lakers face a near impossible challenge to win 20 of 26 to go from a 28–28 Play-In team to a 48–34 Playoff team.

To win the #6 seed in the Western Conference and avoid the Play-In Tournament, the Lakers will need to win 20 of the 26 games after the trade deadline to finish the regular season with a 48–34 win-loss record.

For the Lakers to be talking about throwing in the towel 30 games into a season where Anthony Davis was the best player in the league and LeBron James still dominant seems like a contradiction in logic and reality.

First of all, the Lakers received needed reassurance LeBron James and Anthony Davis could lead them to another championship, which really had become a question of concern due to injuries and losses the last two years.
Second, the West is a mess and there are no surefire championship teams, which is another reason why the Lakers need to keep their options open. Finally, there’s the Pelicans’ pick swap and Celtics shot at #18 to consider.

In the end, there is a pathway for the Lakers to become a .500 team before the trade deadline and even to finish the season with a strong closing run that cinches the #6 seed in the West with a 48–34 win-loss record.

The sudden news Anthony Davis will miss at least a month with his latest injury may finally force Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office to make a life or death decision about the team’s prospects of winning this season.

While Davis’ injury was not season or career ending, it throws a monkey wrench into the Lakers’ plans to wait two to four weeks before deciding whether to trade Russell Westbrook and their two first round picks.
The Lakers desperately needed to trade for more size and shooting before Davis’ injury. Now with him out for a month, the Lakers could be forced to move now and finding a starting center has suddenly become a priority.

It’s hard to be optimistic when bad luck happen but there are too many promising signs, including Davis’ MVP caliber play and James’ continued dominance, for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers to give up on this season.
The front office has been rightfully reluctant to trade their two available first round draft picks or to give up the standard protections but they need to rethink their trade strategies now or this season is dead and gone.

With AD likely to miss a month to a month and a half or around a fourth of the season, the Lakers have no more time to waste looking for a miracle trade to suddenly appear that gifts them with a third or fourth superstar.
Now reality has arrived and they have no viable option other than to go all-in to save a season where Anthony Davis and LeBron James have shown they still are the best superstar duo in the world. They just need help.

With a heathy AD and LeBron, this team has championship potential. The Lakers must go all-in and trade their two unprotected picks to upgrade the roster to survive Anthony Davis’ injury and win their 18th championship.

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Why Lakers Need to Go All-In to Win Right Now

The Lakers no longer have the luxury of waiting. They need a major influx of size, shooting, and defense now or this season is lost like the last two. Going ‘All-In’ means trading anyone but LeBron and AD and doing it now.

The big win against the Nuggets with just 17 minutes of a hobbled Davis is far more likely going to be the outlier rather than the rule going forward and the last thing the Lakers want is to wear out 37-year old LeBron James.
Early in the year, the front office questioned whether a healthy James and Davis was still the slam dunk it was in the bubble. Nobody was asking that question after the Lakers dominated the Bucks. There is no more doubt.

Knowing the Lakers though, the question likely morphed to ‘could they get by and still create a contender by trading just one of the picks?’ That’s the problem when you’re always trying to have your cake and eat it too.
In a way, the Davis injury could end up being a blessing for the Lakers much like the Covid break was when they won the Bubble Championship. Most importantly, it forces the Lakers to trade now rather than waiting.

Imagine a month of Bryant and a 38-year old James manning center and trying to win the uphill battle for the boards and points in the paint, the only way the Lakers have compensated for their poor 3-point shooting.
The Lakers will be lucky to have a third of the season left by the time Anthony Davis is back on the court. They cannot afford to be in 12th in the West at that point in time. They need major help right now to survive.

Know that James and Davis can play championship basketball, the Lakers must move immediately and decisively to add size, shooting, and defense to help survive AD’s injury and win their 18th NBA championship.

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Why Lakers Need to Trade for Starting Center

One of the Lakers greatest needs before Davis’ injury was for a backup center who could stretch the floor and protect the rim when Anthony Davis was on the bench and provide insurance in the event AD was injured.

Frankly, Davis’ injury should not have been a surprise to the Lakers and if their trade strategies before did not properly reflect the importance of having a starting quality backup for AD, then they certainly do right now.
Frankly, having a great backup for both James and Davis should be an essential goal of whatever roster makeover they new engage in. It’s the smart and savvy move for the Lakers to make. That’s now totally clear.

What’s interesting is there are three trade possibilities that immediately jump out for the Lakers with Anthony Davis injured. Those three teams are the Indian Pacers, the Washington Wizards, and the San Antonio Spurs.
Those teams should expect an call from Rob Pelinka. The Lakers need a trade or trades that include a quality starting center like Myles Turner, Kristaps Porzingis, or Jakob Poeltl to hold down the fort until AD returns.

Ideally, that center will give the Lakers the versatility to go jumbo big with him and AD starting together or small-ball-on-steroids with AD and Bron as well as providing insurance in the event that Anthony Davis is injured.
While that may not make sense in the salary dedicated to a single position, it could be the smartest move the Lakers could make in the long term. Optimizing Anthony Davis is the key to the future for the Lakers.

The Lakers need to rethink their trade priorities and make sure to include a starting quality center as part of what they need back in any series of trades they decide to make to survive until AD returns and compete to win.

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Silver Linings for Lakers in Anthony Davis’ Injury

While the sudden news Anthony Davis will miss at least a month due to his latest foot injury cast a dark cloud over a third straight Lakers’ season, there are some silver linings for the Lakers from AD’s injury.

First and foremost, the injury is not a season or career ending injury. In fact, before the injury, Anthony Davis was playing like the best player in the entire NBA, which is something the Lakers’ need to remember and value.
Second, the time that Davis gets while recovering from the foot injury could result in his being fresher and having more energy and stamina in the playoffs like he did after the Covid break in the bubble championship.

Third, the Davis injury should finally force the indecisive Lakers’ front office to finally act rather than wasting time hoping for some sudden superstar to demand to be traded to the Lakers. No more time to wait.
Finally, and this might be the most important, the Davis injury should refocus the front office on looking for a starting quality center to backup Anthony and enable the Lakers to go jumbo big with two 7-footers.

The Lakers have played 28 of the 82 games in the regular season, which is just over one third of the season. Davis is likely to miss between a month and a month and a half. That will take him well past the half way mark.
The Lakers need to survive the next 17 to 23 games without Anthony Davis, which means Rob Pelinka is going to have to move fast and decisively if the Lakers want any chance to keep this season and hopes for #18 alive.

Unfortunately, acting quickly and decisively has not been one of Pelinka’s strengths since assuming control of the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office. Let’s hope the direness of the Lakers current situation changes that.